Bonding through feline care

Cage-cleaning mom, daughter benefit from volunteering.

Cage-cleaning mom, daughter benefit from volunteering.

November 20, 2008|By LOU MUMFORD Tribune Staff Writer

ST. JOSEPH -- Like cats? Michelle McHale and her daughter, Katie Whalen, certainly do. If they didn't, they wouldn't spend their Sunday mornings cleaning feline cages in the Animal Aid section at the Paw Mart store in St. Joseph. "I have to be honest," McHale said, stroking one of the shelter's 15 cats. "On some Sundays, I want to stay in bed in my pajamas. But when we come, we get some benefits from it." McHale, 42, and Katie, 9, are among southwestern Michigan residents who volunteer their time to make the area a better place. For them, their interaction with cats at the shelter makes the effort worthwhile but, for others, something as simple as ringing a bell for The Salvation Army, well, rings their bell. At least a dozen hands-on volunteer opportunities will be available Saturday during National Family Volunteer Day activities at Orchard's Mall in Benton Harbor. The theme -- "Be an Incredible Family Volunteer" -- is taken from the popular 2004 movie "The Incredibles." "I'm going to dress as Violet," said Katie, a fourth-grade student at Hollywood Elementary School and, obviously, a fan of the Disney picture. She and her mom had different takes on how they wound up volunteering at the shelter. "We wanted another cat and Mom wouldn't let me have one," Katie recalled. McHale smiled and pointed out the family's St. Joseph household already includes two cats. "For my part, I realized how fortunate we are ... I wanted to give back to the community," she said. "Katie is a real giving kid. She had a lemonade stand where she raised money for (victims of) Hurricane Katrina. She also had one for the Humane Society. "And she spent her own money for stuffed animals and coloring books she took to Lakeland Hospital for the pediatrics unit. "I wanted to teach her the importance of giving your time instead of money." A school social worker in Niles, McHale said it takes less than two hours to clean the cages, but she and Katie often prolong their visits. "We always fall in love with a different cat," she said. Her husband, Steve Whalen, an employee at Whirlpool, occasionally helps out as well, but he much prefers playing with the cats and grooming them to cage-cleaning duty, McHale said. As to who benefits the most, she guessed it's the family. "It makes you feel really good. You know what you're doing is a good thing," she said. "And they're always happy to see you." Staff writer Lou Mumford: lmumford@sbtinfo.com (269) 687-7002